The 3 Stooges Christmas Carol
by Agent R
Summary: Curly's Bob Cratchit and the Ghost of Christmas Present, Larry's Past, Moe's Nephew Fred and Future, and Shemp's Jacob Marley, please read and review.


The Three Stooges Christmas Carol  
  
Curly: Bob Cratchit and Ghost of Christmas Present Larry: Donation collector and Ghost of Christmas Past Moe: Nephew Fred and Ghost of Christmas Future Shemp: Jacob Marley's Ghost  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own The Christmas Carol, or the Three Stooges.  
  
It was Christmas Eve again, Marley was dead, this must be well known or nothing wonderful can come from the story I'm going to tell you. Jacob Marley had been dead seven long miserable years, Scrooge knew he was dead, how course he did. There was no doubt, Marley was dead as a doornail, his burial at sea, but Scrooge refused to take his name off the business sign. He was the skinflint gold sucking parasite that disturbed everyone's peace. He found Christmas Eve to be nothing spectacular, nor Christmas for that matter, every day was a working day in his mind. He returned to the counting house where his employee Bob Cratchit was working.  
"Cratchit! Stop slumping off and get back to work!" Scrooge said. "Yes sir Mr. Scrooge, right away boss," Bob said. Bob, loyal to his boss, yet still suspicious, nervously watched as Scrooge walked over to the stove. "It's warm in here, Cratchit, have you been using coal again?" he asked, "Hmmm, 1, 2, 3, 4."  
"No sir, I haven't used any, since last week," Bob chattered his teeth. With all his money, you'd think that Scrooge would have his counting house's temperature at least 1 degree, but never did he such.  
"And you'll need none tomorrow, it's a holiday, I'll save on coal, but I suppose I still have to pay you," Scrooge explained. "Yes sir, but its only once a year," Bob replied.  
"I had it my way, wouldn't even come once a year, that's too many days off," Scrooge returned.  
"Oh sir," Bob sighed. "Now let's see here, 9,922, 9,923, 9924," Scrooge said, going back to counting his shillings.  
"Excuse me sir, I'm collecting for the poor and," Larry said, barging in. "Can't a man get any work done on the day before this wretched holiday?" Scrooge asked.  
"And a wretched holiday it will be for many people, if you could only spare a couple of shillings, it would be a large help, by golly," Larry told him.  
"Now you see here, I told you before I will not give to the poor," Scrooge told him. "Oh, Scrooge, surely you can give something," Larry said. "I certainly can, but I won't! I support the workhouses, besides, those folks are so bad off, they should be locked up in the poorhouse," Scrooge said.  
"Oh but you can't do that Sir, many can't go there, and many would rather die!" Larry exclaimed.  
"That's true it's colder in the poorhouse den it is here," Bob said. "Shut up and get back to work before you're fired," Scrooge said.  
"Yes sir, sorry sir," Bob said. "Well if they'd rather die then let them, they'd just be decreasing the surplus population, now be gone! I've no need for the likes of you around here, now get!" Scrooge said.  
"Yes sir, skinflint," Larry mumbled. "Oh but sir, couldn't you have given a bit? With what you give people's not even enough to supply a mouse you rat!" Bob barked.  
"Cratchit, you looking to get fired? Get back to your ledges!" Scrooge yelled. "Yes sir, no sir, sorry sir," Bob mumbled.  
"Merry Christmas! Deck the halls, joyous Yuletide!" Fred said, stepping in, with a Christmas wreath in his hand.  
"Who is it?" Scrooge asked. "It's me Uncle, your nephew Fred," he said. "It's you, is it? Allright nephew, what is it this time?" Scrooge asked, not raising his head from his coins.  
"Wonderful news Uncle! I've come to invite you to have Christmas dinner with me and my wife," Fred said.  
"Bah, why would I when I have better things to do?" Scrooge asked. "It might do you better than that ugly ol' gruel ya eat every night," Bob said.  
"Cratchit, are you trying to get fired? Get back to those ledges," Scrooge said. "No sir, yes sir, sorry sir," Bob said. "Please Uncle, it'll do you forth good to meet my beautiful wonderful wife, she is a true angel," Fred said.  
"And you are nothing more than a sorry little fool, why should you marry a poor girl?" Scrooge asked.  
"Because I fell in love," Fred answered. "Love? What's love to you? Every 25th of December you wind up a year older, and not an hour richer," Scrooge said.  
"True Christmas never put any gold or silver in my pockets," Fred started, "but I believe Christmas has done me good and will do me good. And I say God bless us everyone, and a Merry Christmas to everyone." "I suppose you'll have a big turkey at your dinner, with fresh hot bread, and plum pudding and spice sugar cakes. Why would I leave my counting house for that? If I had it my way, every fool who goes around with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled in his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."  
"Uncle," Fred started. "Nephew! You keep Christmas your way, and let me keep it in mine," Scrooge stated.  
"But you don't keep it, uncle," Fred said. "And I won't, what reason have you to be happy? You're poor enough," Scrooge sighed. "What reason have you to be miserable?" Fred asked, "You're rich enough."  
  
"And then some," Bob said, "after all, you've got enough shillings to supply the people to put the workhouses out of business. But do you give to help others?"  
"No, and unless you want the same to happen to you, get back to work!" Scrooge said, "Time is money, my money that is. As for you, nephew, I've no pleasure to see you, nor your wife, this is just a poor excuse to pick a man's pocket every 25th of December."  
"I don't care, I say Merry Christmas," Fred said, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"  
"Christmas, Bah-Humbug," Scrooge sighed. "Christmas a humbug, uncle? Surely you don't mean that," Fred told him.  
"I do, Nephew, you're of no use to me, now be off, I've work to do before the day is over," Scrooge said.  
"Why can't we be friends?" Fred asked. "Who needs friends, when I've got all this money," Scrooge laughed. Scrooge grabbed the wreath Fred brought in, shoved it down his neck, and showed him to the door.  
"Oh, he's a cold one your uncle is," Bob said. "Yes indeed, I'm afraid, but no reason we should let him ruin our holiday, how's the family?" Fred asked. "Oh, they're fine, the children are a real blessing, each one of them," Bob said. "Yes, how's that son of yours? The fragile one?" Fred asked. "Tim, he's doing well, he's a real chip off the old block," Bob said. "Best of wishes to your family Bob, Merry Christmas," Fred exclaimed as he walked out of the counting house.  
"You too, sir, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!" Bob exclaimed. "Where'd Nephew Fred go?" Scrooge said. "He left for his home, sir," Bob replied. "Well you might as well go home too, but be back here all the early the day after tomorrow!" Scrooge said.  
Bob left the counting house, hopping and dancing around in the snow a happy man, a free man, and yet a poor man, probably all for the better, to avoid becoming like Scrooge. And as for Scrooge, he left for the rest of that day and all the next, back to his home. As his walk ended outside of his front door, the day grew into night, and the town's lanterns lit the way for any passerby or beggar among the streets. Ebenezer walked up his steps, took out his key, and unlocked is door. Scrooge's doorknocker had an unusual face of an animal kept on it. But a strange, white figure replaced that face, with a new one, but it wasn't new, rather an old one. The face of a man lost seven years ago that very night, it was Jacob Marley!  
"Scrooge," he moaned. "Jacob Marley?" Scrooge questioned the apparition, "No, it can't be." Scrooge reached out his hand and pinched Jacob's nose, he yelped, Scrooge screamed, as so Jacob screamed also, and barked, scaring Scrooge inside. Jacob barked once more, before disappearing off the knocker. Once inside, Scrooge huffed and gasped to catch his breath, the excitement was overwhelming to him.  
"Bah, nothing but a figment of my imagination, caused by hunger, due to the fact I've yet to eat dinner," Scrooge sighed.  
He cautiously walked up the stairs with his cane in his hand, within every two or three steps he took, he looked back to make sure that no intruder was behind him. As he reached the head of the stairs, he prepared to spend Christmas Eve the same way he always did, eating leftover gruel, alone. But this Christmas Eve was going to be different, as a strange, cold wind blew out of nowhere, the snow started coming down harder. Scrooge remained seated in his favorite chair, by a dim fire, slurping his gruel. Off in a distance, he heard the sound of an unearthly moan.  
"Bah," he disagreed, "nothing but the wind!" "Scrooge!"  
"What was that?" Scrooge asked, as he hung onto his chandelier on the ceiling. In walked a white, transparent figure, with a very recognizable face, Scrooge knew him. Seven years ago tonight, Jacob Marley died, Scrooge made his way down from the ceiling, back down to the cold, hard floor.  
"Jacob Marley? Can it be you?" Scrooge asked. "Indeed, Scrooge, you remember, it was seven years ago tonight I died. And do you know why?" Jacob asked.  
"I know not," Scrooge said. Jacob sat in Scrooge's chair and explained.  
"Ebenezer, tonight seven years ago, I was driven to the point of death, by you. You were the cause of my death, I took one good, long look at your sourpuss, killing me. Because of you, seven long years, dead and gone!" Jacob exclaimed.  
"I refuse to believe this," Scrooge said, "you're nothing more than a figment of my imagination, caused by indigestion, from the bad leftover gruel." Scrooge took his bowl, and poured the gruel into the fire, however, instead of being put out, the fire grew, the flames grew to the chimney.  
"SCROOGE!" Jacob yelled. Jacob jumped up and slapped Scrooge across the face. "This is the worst case of indigestion I ever felt," Scrooge sighed.  
"Do you believe in me or not?" the phantom asked. "I believe, I believe, but why trouble me now?" Scrooge asked, "You've been dead for seven years."  
  
"Yes, seven long years dead," Jacob said, "in life, my spirit never walked beyond our counting house." "But Jacob, you were always a good man of business," Scrooge protested. "My business was charity, the common welfare, mankind, mercy, they were all my business!" the ghost wailed.  
"That doesn't sound like my partner, Jacob Marley," Scrooge said. Scrooge noticed that Jacob had chains tied to him, accompanied by safes, cash boxes, ledgers, titles, deeds, keys, and padlocks.  
"In my life, I robbed the widows, swindled beggars, collected the debts of the poor, now at this time of the year I suffer the most," Jacob wailed.  
Scrooge was confused, "but the chains, why?"  
"In life, I created the chain I wear, I made it, link by link, and yard by yard, I forged it upon myself. Do you know the weight of the chain you yourself bear?" Jacob asked. Scrooge thought for a minute, "hmmmmmm," he himself was at the risk of this?  
"I'm doomed, doomed, doomed!" Jacob cried, "And so are you, Ebenezer Scrooge. This one is from when I kicked out Widow Debroca, and this one is the time I chased the orphans into the snow bank, with their frostbitten teddy bears. Had I done some good things to make up for those before Christmas Eve seven years ago, perhaps I would have not to suffer this horrible fate. Listen carefully, tonight you will be visited by three spirits, listen to them, do as they say, or else you'll end up like me. Expect the first when the clock strikes midnight."  
"Wait a minute, can't they all visit at once so I can get it over with?" Scrooge asked. Jacob's ghost roared, bringing up the fire again, hot coal ashes came flying out, catching Scrooge in the back of his nightgown. He ran around in circles until he got hit in the face with the fireplace shovel. He got knocked on the ground, on his backside and the coals wore out, Jacob put the shovel away and when Scrooge got up, he asked Jacob "what that was for", he did not answer, he moaned as he walked over to the window, and went through, Scrooge approached the window.  
"Oh no, not this time, you're not getting away from me this time," Scrooge laughed. He opened the shutters, only to have a pile of snow fall on him, he looked out the window to see Jacob surrounded by dozens of other miserable, suffering ghosts.  
"Farewell Scrooge," he wailed, "expect me no more." Jacob as well as the other apparitions flew off, disappearing from Scrooge's sight, never to be seen from him again. Scrooge went on to bed, but he woke up when he heard a loud ringing, the clock on the nightstand beside him was ringing midnight.  
"Bah, humbug," he mumbled. "Wake up Scrooge, you're really asleep aren't you? You self-centered skinflint."  
"OUCH!" Scrooge shot up in bed, "Who pinched me?" "I did," answered a transparent figure.  
It was of a young man, between 30s and 40s it looked, who was he? "Who are you?" Scrooge asked.  
"I am the ghost of Christmas past, we're going to take a trip Scrooge, so get ready, it's cold outside," the spirit replied.  
"Oh, it's you, I thought you'd be taller," Scrooge sighed. "Hmph! If men were measured by their kindness, you'd be no bigger than speck of dust, you know that?" the ghost asked.  
"Kindness is of little use in this world," Scrooge turned over in bed. "You didn't always think so, now come on Scrooge, it's time to go," the spirit replied.  
"Humbug, I can't go out there, I'll fall," Scrooge said. "Not to worry, Scrooge, hold on tight," the ghost responded, "not too tight now." However, when the ghost realized Scrooge didn't having a pleasing hold to uphold him, he grabbed Scrooge by his gray hair. The windows flew open and Scrooge and the ghost flew off into the night.  
"Watch out for that chimney cloud," the ghost exclaimed. Too late, Scrooge got caught in a cloud of smoke, coming from someone's potbelly stove. "Where are we?" Scrooge asked. "Back in the past, we're going to take a look at what could've caused you to become the penny pinching skinflint you turned out to be," the phantom laughed. Scrooge looked around, he saw the same boys he used to attend school with, going home for the holidays.  
"There's George and Bill and William, but how can this be?" Scrooge wondered. "I already explained it to you, we're back in the past, these are shadows of what's already happened, they're unaware of our presence," the ghost replied.  
Scrooge watched as the boys headed to their homes, without a care in the world about the school.  
"They're all going home for Christmas," Scrooge said. "All but one child, neglected by his friends, and left all alone, do you recall the way?" the ghost asked him. "Recall?" Scrooge laughed, "I could've found this place blindfolded!" Scrooge merrily ran up the stairs to the school, hoping to find something inside of it. Instead, the doors opened in his face, flattening him against the wall, as he saw himself as a young lad, stepping out with his sister Fan right with him.  
"Fan, we must always be together forever," Ebenezer said. "We will Ebenezer, forever and ever," Fan smiled.  
"You're sister Fan was a kind young lady, but she had a large heart," Christmas Past's spirit said, "and she did leave you."  
"She died a young woman," Scrooge said. "She had a child," the spirit replied.  
"My nephew, she died giving him life," Scrooge added. "As did you with your mother, for which your father never forgave you," the spirit reminded him, "although it wasn't as if it was your fault. Nobody asks to be born, and nobody comes into the world to purposely do away with their mothers. Modern medicine just hasn't picked up a lot."  
"It never did," Scrooge agreed. "You loved your sister Fan," the ghost told him.  
"And when she died, I swore I'd never love another woman again," Scrooge exclaimed.  
"Come with me, Scroogey," the phantom said. "Now where're we going?" Scrooge asked.  
They landed outside of an old building, Scrooge peered in through the window.  
  
"Why it's old Fezzywig, and it's Christmas Eve," Scrooge realized, "old Fezzywig, he's alive again, but how can this be?"  
"I already told you, you skinflint, these are shadows of what already HAS been," the phantom told him. Scrooge watched as Fezzywig demanded he and Jacob Marley, help move the desks so they can have a Christmas party. "A small call for joy, a handful of people," the phantom said.  
"Small?" Scrooge asked. "Probably just took a couple of shillings to throw this hoot nanny together," the ghost said.  
"It's not the money that matters, the joy that Fezzywig gave, couldn't be measured in gold," Scrooge told him. Scrooge looked in and saw a much younger form of himself, hardly a care in the world, working for Fezzywig, a good man, a well hearty man, and a good employer. Ebenezer found that a woman in the corner, laughing and waving her fan as she turned down men for a dance.  
"Belle! It's Belle!" the old Scrooge noticed. He watched as gentlemen asked her to dance, she laughed and turned them down.  
"Oh ho, but she's not going to dance with anybody," Scrooge laughed. Ebenezer mustered up the courage and walked over to Belle, and asked her to dance, she accepted, and they went out on the dance floor. "You are so light on your feet, Miss Belle," he complimented her. "Thank you, as do you, Ebenezer," Belle replied.  
"You do remember her, don't you?" the phantom asked. "I do," the old Scrooge answered. "And you did love her," the phantom added. "I d-----I did," Scrooge replied.  
"Come, my time grows short," the phantom took him ahead a few years. Scrooge certainly remembered this time of the year, there he stood outside his house, waiting for Belle. It was winter, the snow had covered the grounds, and added a few inches to it. Up came Belle, looking beautiful as she always did.  
"You wanted to see me, Ebenezer?" she asked. "Yes, Belle, I wanted to ask you something," he replied. "What is it?" Belle asked. As Ebenezer started, he got hit in the back of the head with a snowball, he turned around and saw one of the neighbor's children out and about. Ebenezer picked up a snowball and got ready to throw it, when he got belted with another one. Belle started laughing, she picked up a snowball and threw it at the boy, the boy threw one back at Belle, hitting her. Belle picked up another snowball and it fell apart in her hands, revealing a beautiful ring.  
"Ebenezer, what is this?" Belle asked. "Belle, I have a very important question...will you marry me?" Ebenezer asked. "You mean you had this all planned?" Belle asked. "Yes, yes, yes, I went to the jeweler and had this ring made especially for you, then I made the snowballs in advance, and paid the child 2 shillings if he would be so kind as to pelt me with a few snowballs to make the plan all fall into effect, so will you marry me?" Ebenezer asked.  
"Yes Ebenezer, I will," Belle gladly replied. "Oh it was a happy time, for you and for Belle," the spirit reminded Scrooge. "Yes, for days I was as gitty as a fool, nothing else on my mind, but having her as my wife," Scrooge said.  
"Come," the spirit took Scrooge by his gray hair and dragged into a further part of the past, not long after the engagement.  
Scrooge had been asked to come see his long time business partner, Jacob Marley, he was terribly ill and probably not going to survive. As Ebenezer headed up the stairs, he saw a man outside Jacob's door, and beside him, the cleaning lady.  
"Is he the doctor?" Ebenezer asked. "No, the undertaker," the cleaning lady answered, "you better go speak with him while you have the chance."  
Ebenezer slowly walked in and saw Jacob in bed, practically dead already. "Jacob, I'm sorry to hear you're dying..however, I suppose we can't win them all, is there anything I can do?" Ebenezer asked.  
"Yes," Jacob whispered, "come forth." Jacob's voice was so low, Scrooge put his ear close to Jacob's moth to hear him.  
"It is..too late for me...I want you to...save yourself..." With those words, Jacob died, but Scrooge didn't understand the message.  
"Save myself? Save myself from what?" Scrooge asked. Scrooge looked up and realized his friend and partner was dead.  
"What now, spirit?" Scrooge asked. "One shadow more," the spirit said.  
Scrooge had come over to Belle's house, she sounded heartbroken, he could only wonder what had upset her so.  
Belle slipped the ring off her finger and held it before him. "Please Ebenezer, take it back," Belle said.  
"But why, Belle?" Ebenezer asked. "A new interest has taken over your life, a golden one, one with more promises than I can guarantee," Belle told him.  
"But have I asked to end our engagement?" Ebenezer asked. "In words no, but if you could choose now, would you choose a poor girl like me to marry?" Belle asked.  
Ebenezer didn't answer, Belle's words had hit him like a ton of bricks, he was speechless.  
"May you be happy with the life that you've chosen," Belle cried. How Scrooge had tried so hard to forget that part of his life, only to have it come back and haunt him.  
"You loved your gold, more than that precious creature, and you lost her forever you penny pinching miserable old skinflint you," the spirit told him, followed by a smack to the face, "how could you choose a pricey but lifeless amount of metal over a beautiful woman who's only crime was loving you?" "I...I...I never did forgive myself for letting her go, times I just wanted to forget it all, how could I be such a fool?" Scrooge pondered. Scrooge was surrounded by smoke, and everything turned dark, the ghost from Christmas Past had disappeared.  
Scrooge woke up when he heard the bell on his clock ringing. "1 o' clock?" Scrooge asked.  
He got up and grabbed the clock and opened the back. "Impossible, I didn't get to sleep until 2, the mice must've gotten into it again," Scrooge thought.  
A bright light came in through his bed curtains, Scrooge pulled them open a crack and saw a giant dressed in what appeared to be a green loincloth over a white garment and dark red trousers.  
"Oh my!" Scrooge said. "Heh...Hi Scroogie, I'm 'de ghost of Christmas Present, you and me are going to take a little trip tonight," the phantom said.  
Scrooge pulled back the curtains and stepped out of his bed and found the room filled with fine foods. "What a fine feast you have here spirit," Scrooge said. When the ghost did not reply, Scrooge looked where he last stood and he was gone. "Spirit? Spirit! Where did you go, Spirit?" Scrooge asked. Scrooge heard a powerful laugh, and saw the spirit reappear as a much taller giant, this time, dressed in a large green robe with a white boarder, instead of a green jungle-like loincloth, and with a wreath of holly wrapped on top of his head. The apparition laughed as he picked Scrooge up.  
"Spirit, please, I beg of you, don't eat me!" Scrooge pleaded. "Now why in da' hoozits would the Ghost of Christmas Present, being me, want to eat a distasteful little miser like you? Especially when I have all these pleasant things to eat in like?" "I can see your point, spirit," Scrooge looked around, "mincemeat pies, turkeys, suckling pigs." "And don't forget the chocolate pot roast with nesmashiou, with's meshnasious, with dismeshmeshiou.uh, I means, with yogurt," the spirit added.  
"You mean pistachios," Scrooge said. "Yeah, that too!" the spirit said.  
"Such wonderful foods, where did they all come from?" Scrooge asked. "From the heart Scroogie! It's the food of generosity, which you have long denied your fellow man," the spirit told him. "Generosity? HA! Nobody's ever shown me generosity!" Scrooge laughed.  
"You've never given them reason you, you miserable old miser you," the ghost picked Scrooge up and rested him on his shoulder, "yet still, there are some people out them finding warmth in their hearts, even for the likes of you."  
Scrooge wandered around inside the sleeve of the ghost's robe and started mumbling, the ghost reached in and pulled him out by the back of his nightgown. "Where're we going?" Scrooge asked. "You'll see," the ghost said. The ghost opened the roof and stepped out, he picked up a street lantern and held it in front of his (using it as a flashlight) and walked calmly through the streets, and pulled open the roof of another house, and a woman's scream could be heard. He put the roof back in place and took a few more steps forth, he found a beat down old house and pulled Scrooge out of his robe.  
"Why did you bring me to this old shack?" he flabbergasted. "This is the home of your overworked, underpaid employee, Bob Cratchit," the ghost told him.  
Scrooge and the spirit peered in through the window, Bob was setting the table with a small cooked bird, half a loaf of bread, and a small amount of pudding.  
"What a meager meal, surely that can't be all they're having, what about on the fire?" Scrooge asked. The spirit pressed his face against the glass and looked far back onto the stove, a pot with water running over.  
"Oh that..that's your laundry," the ghost said. "So how was Tim today?" Bob's wife asked.  
"As good as gold, and better, he told me leaving church today, that he hoped people saw him because he was a cripple. And he thought it might be nice to remember on Christmas day who made lame beggars walk and blind men see," Bob replied. As they sat down to eat, Scrooge noticed something. "What is wrong with Tiny Tim, spirit?" Scrooge asked.  
"Much, I'm afraid, no thanks to you, you miserable old miser," the ghost barked. "My family," Bob stood up, "I propose a toast, to Mister Scrooge, the founder of this feast." "The founder of this feast indeed," his wife said, "if he were here, I'd give that penny pinching miser a piece of my mind to feast upon." "But my dear, it's Christmas, a time to be more understanding, the time we put aside our petty differences to be at peace with the world, our friends, families, enemies, and in the income tax man," Bob said. "Even Mister Scrooge?" Tiny Tim asked. "Yeah son, even Mister Scrooge," Bob said.  
"Allright, I'll propose a toast, but only because it's Christmas and of my own giving heart and for our sake, not his," Bob's wife said, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Mister Scrooge."  
Scrooge quietly muttered a bunch of words to himself. "You've a problem with Bob Cratchit? the ghost asked.  
"His wife," Scrooge replied. "Brute?" the spirit asked.  
"The worst kind, honest," Scrooge said. "So you agree that you're the measly penny pinching old skinflint, don't you?" the spirit asked.  
"I..I am not, but perhaps I've been a bit hard on Cratchit," Scrooge thought. "More so than you think, in fact, if these shadows remained unchanged, in the near future I see an empty seat where Tiny Tim once sat, and a crutch without an owner," the ghost said.  
"He'll die?" Scrooge asked. "If he dies, he better do it fast and decrease the surplus population," the phantom said, "those were your words earlier today were they not?"  
"They....they were, but I didn't know about Tim," Scrooge defended himself. "Now you know, and you should know that there are others like him, like the ones those charity people try to help, and you shut them out without so much as a hay penny, lots of others like that good boy, never knowing when it'll end," the spirit told him, "and other people in that much need of help, just not for the same thing. Thousands suffering, need, ignorant, hungry, poor, sick.all at the work of you."  
"Are there no hospitals? Is there no refuge?" Scrooge asked. "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" the spirit replied. The ghost's words echoed in Scrooge's head, they disappeared, off to somewhere else.  
"Now where are we?" Scrooge asked. "Take a look around," the ghost said.  
Scrooge didn't recognize the fairly nice house they were in, however, he did recognize the young man serving tea to everyone.  
"That's my nephew Fred, is this his party?" Scrooge asked. "It is," the spirit said.  
Scrooge watched as a beautiful young woman came up to Fred. "Is that his wife?" Scrooge asked. "It sure is, she's a perty thing, ain't she?" the spirit asked, "forgetting she's a poor penniless girl." "Oh, she is a beautiful woman, all the money in the world couldn't change her natural beauty," Scrooge said.  
"Aye!" The spirit replied, "and you was going down your nephew's throat for being poor, what do you say to this?" "I..." Scrooge looked around and noticed everyone enjoying themselves, Fred and his wife especially.  
"Fred dear," the young lady said, "why do you invite your Uncle Ebenezer every year for Christmas? You know he never comes." "Ah yes, but it is Christmas, my dear, a time to have a little more faith in people," Fred replied.  
"Yeah, but that ol' Ebenezer your Uncle has more faith that people pay their mortgages he does," a guest spoke up. "Yes, but, I do wish to honor a toast to my uncle, he is only human," Fred said. "He's human yes, but a black heart he carries in his chest," an already drunk guest spoke up, "but I'll drink to that."  
The gentleman raised his glass, another guest also raised his glass and said to the first man, "You'll drink to anything, but nonetheless, we may as well, one day out of the year to remember that mindless bag is more than enough but will do nonetheless, to Ebenezer Scrooge."  
The guests and the hosts clicked their glasses and enjoyed the brandy. "They remembered me," Scrooge muttered.  
"D'ere!" the ghost said, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Being a real fool penny pinching miserable old miser, come on, it's time to go." Scrooge and the Spirit of Christmas Present then came to a dark area, on a cold ground, and the spirit disappeared into the darkness, leaving Scrooge alone.  
"Wait Spirit! Where are you? Don't go! Don't leave me here! I'm afraid!" As Scrooge looked around for the spirit, a 3rd one appeared behind him, a seemingly faceless figure wearing a red robe, covering its face and entire body, except for its long skinny, pointy red arms, its body was surrounded by a fiery glow, as if the spirit had been sent up from Hell. Scrooge turned around and faced the supposed final ghost.  
"Are.are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" Scrooge asked. The spirit nodded its hooded head and pulled out a staff with a sickle on the top end, Scrooge wasn't sure if it was pointed for him or at him, but he was sure of one thing. "You are about to show me shadows of things that have not been, but will be in the time before us, if you have anything to show me, may I prophet from it," Scrooge said.  
The spirit led Scrooge down a narrow path, and into complete darkness. Scrooge opened his eyes, it was daytime again, and the town's people seemed unusually quiet, except for some extremely vexing gossip.  
"When did he die?" a man on the corner asked. "Last night, I heard," another answered. "Really? I wonder who he left his money to?" the first man pondered. "He hasn't left it to me, that's all I know," the second answered, "wonder if anyone plans on attending the funeral?" "Only if there's a bite afterwards," the first laughed. The two men chuckled as they walked off, Scrooge quickly realized that there was something different.  
"Spirit, what exactly is it that I'm supposed to learn from these 2 cackling hens?" Scrooge asked. Scrooge received a fair slap across the face from the ghost, he was surprised the phantom's bony hand hadn't come off.  
"I suppose when you're dead, you can get away with that," Scrooge rubbed his cheek, "now where are we off to?"  
Scrooge looked around, he was in a dark room, over in the corner there was a bed, with a body on it, covered by a sheet. "Oh no! I won't look, you can't make me," Scrooge looked away and shivered, "Spirit, is there no one who feels for this man's death?"  
Scrooge and the Spirit disappeared and reappeared outside of a dark building, Scrooge saw 3 familiar looking people going into the building with bags of items, he and the ghost followed them in.  
"Spirit, I recognize those people, that's Darren Slae and his wife, Enid, they were the caretakers of my home before I moved in, and that.that's Beatrice my servant, what're they doing?" Scrooge pondered. They were at Joe Slakner's, he owned the pawn shop, however, Scrooge saw to him missing a monthly payment and shut him down, he still did deals with people, only now it was in the remains of his store. Darren reached into a large bag and pulled out a set of cufflinks with someone's initials on them.  
"Knew the old boy personally?" Joe asked. "A time or two, can't really say he was worth much more than what we're bound to get," Darren said.  
"Yes, I suppose, but I'm afraid they're worth no more than a hay penny each," Joe said. "Beggars cain't be choosers I suppose," Darren laughed. Enid got up and handed Joe a bag full of suits and hats and boots and rings.  
"Well, what do you pay Joe?" Enid asked. Joe pulled out 4 shekels and handed them to Enid. "Not much but..take what you can, I always say," she giggled. Last, Beatrice got up and handed Joe a bag containing familiar green drapes. "Where...where did you get these?" Joe asked, with a bit of nerve in his voice. "Off his bed, where else do you expect me to get them? Off a llama perhaps?" Beatrice asked.  
"You..you mean to tell me that you took these bed curtains down, rings and all, with him lying there?" Joe asked. "Indeed I do, got his blanket as well," Beatrice chuckled, "he sure won't need it to keep him warm where he's goin', I dare say."  
"He had no friends in life, but we'll look after him in death," Joe laughed. Scrooge and the ghost disappeared, Scrooge then found himself walking along a cold street.  
"Spirit, where are we now? This road looks vaguely familiar, perhaps when I was traveling with the Spirit of Christmas Present," Scrooge thought. He saw Bob Cratchit walk up to his home and slowly go in to his family, who seemed to be grieving.  
"Oh how I wish you could've gone my dear, it would've done you good to see what a beautiful place it is, but you'll see it soon. I promised him I'd walk there on Sundays," Bob said. "It's days like this that I think about him the most, how wonderful he was, how gentle, how he always loved everyone just the same, it just isn't the same without him," his wife cried.  
"I agree, none of us shall forget Tiny Tim, how wonderful and precious he was, even though he was just a little child," Bob said. "Not Tiny Tim, say it can't be, Spirit!" Scrooge exclaimed. Scrooge turned around and found himself in a cemetery, he walked over to a freshly made grave, with a tombstone reading Tim Cratchit.  
"So this is what you wanted me to see?" Scrooge asked. The spirit shook its head, and led Scrooge over to another grave, the tombstone was blocked by a plant's leaves.  
"Tell me, Spirit, are these the shadows of things that will be or only shadows of what may be?" Scrooge asked.  
The spirit offered no answer in return, but pointed at the tombstone. "All right, I'll go," Scrooge nervously said.  
Scrooge approached the grave, and pulled back the leaves, there, engraved in the tombstone, the name read Ebenezer Scrooge.  
"No, this cannot be! Spirit, I beg of you, say this can all be changed! I am not the man I was, I certainly won't be the man I would've been, but I shall remember my learning from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, and carry the spirit of Christmas in me all year round!"  
Scrooge clutched the spirit's robe in his hands as he begged and pleaded for mercy and a second chance, he then opened his eyes again, and found himself hugging his bed curtains.  
"I'm alive, I'm here, they aren't taken down rings and all, they're here! And I'm here, it's morning! But which morning?"  
Scrooge turned as Beatrice came in for the morning routine. "Beatrice! I must know, what is today?" Scrooge asked.  
"Today? It's Christmas Day," Beatrice said. "Yes! I haven't missed it yet! And look!" Scrooge ran around his room, "there's the chair where the Ghost of Christmas Present sat, and there's the window where Jacob Marley flew out to join the wandering spirits, and here, here's where the Ghost of Christmas Past pinched me awake! I know it all, and I know nothing, and I know what I don't know, all on a Christmas morning!" Scrooge sang.  
Scrooge passed by his mirror and got a good look at himself. "Merry Christmas to you Scrooge, you old Humbug! And a Happy New Year!" he told his reflection. "Mister Scrooge, are you feeling all right?" Beatrice asked. "Yes! Yes! I'm fine! I'm as happy as an Angel, I'm as light as a feather! I'm merry as a school boy, and as ghetty as drunken man!" Scrooge said, "I must stand on my head!"  
Scrooge did as he suggested, scaring Beatrice out of the room, he ran out after her and chased her down the stairs and caught her halfway, Beatrice started screaming at the top of her lungs, Scrooge patted her on the back to calm her down.  
"Listen to me Beatrice, I'm not mad," Scrooge said, "even if I look like it!" Scrooge mussed with his hair and laughed, and pulled a coin out of his pocket and handed it to Beatrice.  
"A Guinea? What's it for?" Beatrice asked. "I'll give you one guess," Scrooge said.  
"To keep me mouth shut?" Beatrice asked. "Good humor, my fair lady, but no, it's a Christmas present," Scrooge said, "take the rest of the day off too!"  
"Why..Thank you Mister Scrooge, and a Happy New Year!" Scrooge ran back upstairs to his bedroom and looked out the window and saw a small boy making a snowman.  
"Excuse me, young lad!" Scrooge called. "Mean old' skinflint! What do I owe ye on this day?" the boy asked.  
"Tell me, has the poultry shop sold that prize turkey in the window?" Scrooge asked. "The one as big as me?" the boy asked. "Yes, that's the one," Scrooge said. "It's han'ing there still," the boy replied. "Good, take this guinea to the butcher, and have him bring it over here, and I'll give you a hay penny!" Scrooge said. "On me way, governor!" the boy took off. "Come back in less than 5 minutes and I'll give you half a crown!" Scrooge added. Scrooge went back to running around in his room in circles and then headed over to his closet.  
"Today, you're going outside you old humbug, and enjoying yourself, but first, you must get dressed," he told himself.  
In a few minutes, the boy returned with the butcher, Scrooge being well humored as he was, jokingly poked the butcher's pot belly instead of the turkey's.  
"Yes, that is a very fine bird, take it over to Bob Cratchit's house, and don't tell him who sent it!" Scrooge said, "and as for you boy, half a crown."  
Scrooge had to laugh, for the first time in I don't know how many years, he was happy. When the bird arrived at Cratchit's house, everyone was in awe. "Golly, look at that beautris bird, my dear, we'll be feasting till Groundhog's Day on it, ha-ha-ha!" Bob exclaimed.  
"Indeed it is a very large bird, Bob, I wonder who sent it?" his wife pondered. While the Cratchit family feasted on the turkey, Scrooge got dressed in an evening suit and put on his one good hat and headed over to Fred's, on the way over, he took a shortcut past his counting house and went around town yelling Merry Christmas to everyone. Up came a figure on a bicycle, running Scrooge over, he looked up and saw Jacob's ghost on the bike.  
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Jacob said. Scrooge looked as Jacob rode away on the bike with his chains dragging behind.  
"Merry Christmas, Jacob Marley," Scrooge said. Scrooge made his way over to Fred's house and rang the bell, a lady answered the door. "Excuse my good lady, I'm looking for my nephew Fred, is he here?" Scrooge asked. "Uncle!" exclaimed Fred, "You came! What are you doing here? Has there been a death in the family?"  
"No my good nephew! It's a celebration! I'm hoping you still have an open invitation for me to dinner with you," Scrooge said.  
"Indeed we do, Uncle! I'd like you to meet my wife, she's a real dear," Fred told him. In came a beautiful young woman, Scrooge took off his top hat and bowed down.  
"Can you forgive a foolish old man for his years of senseless mistakes?" Scrooge asked. "I think I can, Fred has told me so much about you," the young lady replied. The next day, Bob Cratchit was hurrying into work due to being a bit tardy, he rushed over to the counting house and tried to sneak in without Scrooge noticing. "Cratchit, you're 2 minutes late," Scrooge said. "I'm.I'm very aware of that sir, I was rather merry yesterday, it won't happen again," Bob said.  
"I should hope so, I won't stand for it," Scrooge slammed his book shut, "From now on, you should be merry all year round. Come, I've made a few changes, from now on, the counting house opens up half an hour later, and I'll give you a raise, no, no, 2 raises. Better yet, I'm making you my partner!"  
"Partner? Whoop-whoop-whoop! Thanks Mister Scrooge! But why the sudden change of heart?" Bob asked. "My heart is different, as is the rest of me, I'm not the same man I was when you left work 2 days ago, we'll go into business together, and everything will turn out for the better, you'll see!" Scrooge said, "now go put some coal on the fire, and we'll get started."  
"Oh boy, yes sir Mister Scrooge, right on it!" Bob said. After Bob went into the back to get the coal, Scrooge started writing in his book when he started laughing.  
"I don't deserve to be so happy," he grunted, "but I can't help it!" Scrooge laughed and went back to work, this was the start of a new beginning. Scrooge was as good as his word and better, Bob was his new partner, he made weekly visits to see his nephew and niece, and no more were people afraid when he passed by or obligated to cross his path. For Scrooge became as good a master as good a friend, as good a partner in business, and for Tiny Tim, who did not die, but indeed became well, a second father.  
So here as a few last words as our story ends, as Tiny Tim had said, "God bless us, everyone." 


End file.
